Thread by @FreedomFriesInc

Until #BlackLivesMatter, no lives will matter.

The facts about each case are unique. I try to understand them before taking a view. High profile examples for discussion:

Trayvon Martin
Dylann Roof
Elijah McClain
George Floyd
Jacob Blake
Kyle Rittenhouse
Ashli Babbitt

I chose the above 7 cases for good reason and it may take me a while to explain it for you. My goal is to show how different such cases can be, and why it is so important to base our views on verifiable facts, whether we like those facts or not. Back in a few minutes.

Often, both sides get this wrong. And that weakens the potential benefit of their campaigning.

Both sides accuse each other of wanting to start a "race war" in the US. That's not a useful construct if you want to achieve your political goals in the real world, right now.

Racial conflict in the US started several centuries before 1776, & has never stopped.

Do you know the saying "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter?" It is very applicable to this topic.

The facts of history are in dispute. That affects our discussion.

It's fair to say that in all things, the facts of history are in dispute. I choose to accept that reality and do my work in spite of it.

In a criminal case like a police shooting, and/or a terrorist attack, there are many types of evidence available.

Video footage is often extremely helpful in finding the facts. It can also be misused, intentionally or not.

Other things include documentation, audio, photos, objects, witness testimony, and even the lack of evidence itself.

There is a court system and that is usually the proper place to determine the facts of a case. It can be misused, of course.

Usually, all parties involved in an incident have to make split second decisions, with or without full information.

With that in mind, I reviewed the Trayvon Martin case.

My conclusion is that George Zimmerman should have respected the police dispatcher's instruction to stop following Martin, and wait for police to arrive.

The only way I could change my view is...

If there was evidence that Martin dragged Zimmerman out of his vehicle (there isn't any.) The available evidence shows that did not happen.

Zimmerman made a bad judgment call to defy the dispatcher's instruction. And he was on record doing that knowingly, because he said "OK".

The reason my list of 7 cases includes the despicable Dylann Roof is that he is used as an example in subsequent cases to show the often wildly differential treatment of suspects based on their apparent race.

This assertion is currently impossible for anti-BLM people to refute.

I use the term "anti-BLM people" to identify those who oppose the goals of the wider BLM movement, or want to pretend they support those goals, while continuing to be racist in thought and deed. (Speaking is a deed.)

Often they do the latter with the following false claim:

They assert that one of the prominent organizations in the *wider* BLM mvt is a criminal/terrorist entity.

It may well be that, but the lie / disinfo is obvious to the rest of us.

It's understandable that some among the maga rank & file don't like being accused of racism...

Most people don't like being accused of racism. (I was going to say no one does, then I remembered those who see it as a badge of honor.)

All forms of racism are bad. This discussion is about racism against black people in the US. Because...

IMO that is the most urgent form of racist behavior to try to address, with the largest impact, in the US at this time.

How I wish it was not so. Progress toward genuine constitutional equality has been made in each generation. Clearly, much more is needed. Urgently.

To keep this thread length somewhat manageable I have to move through my list of 7 cases instead of developing those points further.

Elijah McClain died at the hands of a first responder who (incredibly stupidly) used Ketamine to try to "subdue" him.

A must-read case, IMO.

I'm one of many people on Twitter who will keep saying the name of Elijah McClain for as long as it takes.

IMO his is one the most clear-cut examples of police brutality AND racism AND unconscionable mistreatment of a disabled person. I go full mad Momma bear for him.

I'm very opposed to the use of (considerably) less clear-cut examples in the fight for justice. The one *after* this next one is one such case.

The death of George Floyd in 2020 will be remembered forever as a watershed moment like some of those in the decade before 1861.

Full disclosure: At the time I was a supporter of the Republican party. That changed soon after election day 2020.

Even so, I NEVER tried to defend the officers or defame George Floyd. I had an instinct about the incident that was later proven in court.

I saw many anti-BLM people try to defend the officers & defame Floyd, & they still do. It was one of the first signs that some of those I thought shared my values... did not.

I do not care about why Floyd was in that position. I care about the officers' actions & omissions.

I have worked for the police in my country, as a civilian analyst. I am very pro-police. IMO you can't be pro-police while trying to defend the indefensible.

And these same people verbally attack the police who served on 1/6. Viciously.

The case of Jacob Blake came back into the news today when the US DOJ announced the outcome of its review.

I went back to remind myself of the facts of the incident involving him. It's what motivated me to write this thread.

This 1/7/21 AP article shows several facts of the case.

People who wanted the US DOJ to prosecute the officer claim that Jacob Blake "was shot 7 times in the back."

At first glance, that seems compelling, doesn't it?

apnews.com/article/kyle-r…

I don't even think Officer Rusten Sheskey should be a police officer but of course it's not my decision (rightly.)

I definitely recommend all police photos that may be released after an OIS case do not involve the officer smiling, like this:

I hadn't seen his photo before. My first thought was that he looked about age 17.

Unfortunately, soon after the Jacob Blake OIS (which resulted in paralysis), we all learned the name Kyle Rittenhouse, a literal (at the time) 17 year old who had no business going where he did.

Kyle Rittenhouse and all who try to defend him are pretty darn unpopular among the majority of Americans right now.

They do this with the same fervor they use regarding Derek Chauvin and Ashli Babbitt.

Rittenhouse shoulda stayed home that night...

The verifiable facts of the Rittenhouse case show he was pretty much the last kind of person who should have been there "to offer first aid."

He's young, dumb, and full of... idiocy. And as usual, the anti-BLM gang get it all wrong, concerning these alleged homicides...

Like Dylann Roof and those among the 1/6 terrorists who were able to wangle home confinement awaiting trial for, gee, trying to beat several cops to death and overthrow the government, Rittenhouse being released on bail only helps the BLM case that white perps have it easy.

They absolutely do, compared to the high rate of African Americans detained awaiting trial.

Honestly, do yourselves a favor & read (or watch on video) the testimonies of black men & women about their daily life just trying to go about in their community like you & me can...

I had been trying to understand what they say about the subject when suddenly I realized that in some small, partial way I have an inkling into their experiences.

Because I am disabled and on the receiving end of #AbledPrivilege every day. We too can be mistreated by cops.

I've learned to charge my phone before heading out so that if I need to covertly or overtly record an encounter, I can. With anyone, not just cops. Most of them are fine.

I would love to not have to be assertive and hypervigilant just to go about my community safely.

Finally, we come to the case of Ashli Babbitt. I have written about this many times.

Whenever you see a Twitter account expressing support for her and her actions, you are likely seeing a hypocrite.

They not only do that, they also endanger police officers.

Including the dear leader of their ongoing insurgency. ICYMI, a former POTUS made multiple public statements that were intended to bait the many terrorists among them to endanger the life of the heroic officer who saved countless lives that day.

It's beyond words.

Lt. Michael Byrd, our hero:

nbcnews.com/news/us-news/o…

It's just, bizarro world, isn't it? They only support the police when it suits them. They only show empathy for others when it suits them. It's no wonder their (growing number of) opponents among the public view them with disdain. It has been earned.

The feeling of frustration among all who work towards genuine equality is understandable. But, take heart.

One by one, people are changing. Not enough of them yet, but the number is not zero. There's a group of people out there who can see the cult of hate for what it is.